# Cigar Box Codes



## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

On a box of Maria Mancinis that I purchased, there is the code C-8 and T-616 at the bottom. What do they mean? Do they stand for the date?

Also, for some boxes (NC), there are codes, but no dates. Is this a clever way they encode dates? If so, does anyone know what they stand for?

This has just been a lingering thought for some time....


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## youngstogiesmoker (Feb 14, 2010)

I don't have the answer, but im interested to find out!


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## Stubby (Dec 6, 2010)

If it didn't have something to do with the lot number, i'm sure it wouldn't be there.


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## gjcab09 (Jul 12, 2009)

I used to work for a place that coded as follows:

12/25/10 = 102512 pretty clever huh? Nothing to do with cigars but if one person thinks of it, chances are someone else will too.


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## fivespdcat (Nov 16, 2010)

yeah sometimes they do a modified Julian date code such as 23610, which would mean the 236th day of 2010. I realize that doesn't help any but I do not think that is a date code, probably a quality control number or lot number, plant location, roller, etc...


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## BMack (Dec 8, 2010)

Seeing those numbers makes me think it's internal use batch/location codes. 

I've mentioned that I'm kind of a hockey equipment guy... Well I see these codes all the time on pro equipment. Some are for internal use to identify how something is made for example on the name bar of a Bauer stick you could see:
1038-12
95
G3
The 1038 is the player's id, in this case it's Steven Stamkos. The 12 is the revision, any change including graphics is noted in this number. The "95" is the flex number(higher means harder to flex). The "G3" means it's a custom flex profile(where the stick flexes). The G3 could be numerous other codes such as "C28" or "C29" or "SE" or "XX" or "XXXX" and others, all of which have variances but that is going deeper into information not needed. The point is that a simple code like 1038 or T-616 could denote a player or possible a plant and/or worker at that plant. While a 12 or C-8 can denote a revision number or in this case a manufacturing time period.


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

Thanks for the input everyone.... but I am looking for something more concrete. 

This has just been on my mind for a while, that's all.


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

I dont think you will find anything concrete. I've looked through the dozen or so boxes I have here that are NC and any that actually have markings or stickers look to be in house codes or factory QA. I'm not sure that the NC vendors really want the box dates out there or at least they think it's irrelevant otherwise they would be marking them such.


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

Tashaz said:


> I dont think you will find anything concrete. I've looked through the dozen or so boxes I have here that are NC and any that actually have markings or stickers look to be in house codes or factory QA. I'm not sure that the NC vendors really want the box dates out there or at least they think it's irrelevant otherwise they would be marking them such.


I am on here really late-- having trouble going to sleep...

You might be correct about that.

But, what's a little inquiry here and there? Perhaps someone here knows _something :spy:.

_


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

BKDW said:


> I am on here really late-- having trouble going to sleep...
> 
> You might be correct about that.
> 
> ...


Inquiry is good. I didnt question that, just gave you my honest opinion.


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

Tashaz said:


> Inquiry is good. I didnt question that, just gave you my honest opinion.


_I know :smile:_.


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

Any takers?


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## anton (Sep 2, 2005)

it would be nice if all NC cigars were dated. I know some are, I have a box a Cabaiguan Maduros that have a date, but other than that you have to depend on when you bought it.


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## Matt1951 (Apr 25, 2010)

I just bought two boxes of Saint Luis Rey, maduro and natural. The boxes have codes, that might (or might not) indicate a July 2010 manufacture date. The code starts 071610. This is Altadis, made in Honduras.


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## BKDW (Nov 7, 2009)

This is going to be interesting finding out....

I like good puzzles!


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

It's been said that the code is read like this.. example for a box of Opus X....the last 3 numbers represent the actual box number ..the first 3 numbers designate how many boxes were produced of that size...name...etc....so if you bought a box of Reserve Chateau then you'd know that you purchased box #123 out of 250 boxes of that particular cigar. It's more about tracking and QC than anything else as companies need to have inventory controls in place to track orders. Sometimes it's that simple. ..


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## Doc Rock (Dec 26, 2006)

Cigary said:


> It's been said that the code is read like this.. example for a box of Opus X....the last 3 numbers represent the actual box number ..the first 3 numbers designate how many boxes were produced of that size...name...etc....so if you bought a box of Reserve Chateau then you'd know that you purchased box #123 out of 250 boxes of that particular cigar. It's more about tracking and QC than anything else as companies need to have inventory controls in place to track orders. Sometimes it's that simple. ..


I respectfully disagree WRT Fuente, at least.

On another thread, I suggest that the last three digits indicate the year in which the cigars were boxed. Simply take 1980 (the year the Fuentes went to the DR) and add that to the last three digits and, voila, you have the year the cigars were boxed.

For example, 032 would mean 2012; 035 would mean 2015. I have bought enough Fuente boxes over the years to confirm this correlation - which is far too consistent to be a mere coincidence.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Doc Rock said:


> I respectfully disagree WRT Fuente, at least.
> 
> On another thread, I suggest that the last three digits indicate the year in which the cigars were boxed. Simply take 1980 (the year the Fuentes went to the DR) and add that to the last three digits and, voila, you have the year the cigars were boxed.
> 
> For example, 032 would mean 2012; 035 would mean 2015. I have bought enough Fuente boxes over the years to confirm this correlation - which is far too consistent to be a mere coincidence.


This thread really interested me where I spent a couple of hours research to it....not that there is a definitive answer because so far there isn't. Even the Fuente Family doesn't give a clear answer to this. What you said about the "year" they moved which was 1980 is not definitive enough to say that is the code .....it's no more definitive than if any other company that has their own code for shipping. Companies will gladly tell you what their code means when you call them if you have a product that is suspect....it's how they track their product. I've been with a few businesses that I consult with that follow that same path...so while we can surmise as to what we think the code means it won't do us any good until we get it straight from the horses mouth and so far I've not read anything that tells us what that is or what those numbers mean. It's a little aggravating because this has been something that has been talked about for quite some time on most Forums and while the theory of it being the "year" doesn't pass the test for fact...until the Fuentes tell us....and I'd love to know what it is.:wink2:


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## Doc Rock (Dec 26, 2006)

Cigary said:


> This thread really interested me where I spent a couple of hours research to it....not that there is a definitive answer because so far there isn't. Even the Fuente Family doesn't give a clear answer to this. What you said about the "year" they moved which was 1980 is not definitive enough to say that is the code .....it's no more definitive than if any other company that has their own code for shipping. Companies will gladly tell you what their code means when you call them if you have a product that is suspect....it's how they track their product. I've been with a few businesses that I consult with that follow that same path...so while we can surmise as to what we think the code means it won't do us any good until we get it straight from the horses mouth and so far I've not read anything that tells us what that is or what those numbers mean. It's a little aggravating because this has been something that has been talked about for quite some time on most Forums and while the theory of it being the "year" doesn't pass the test for fact...until the Fuentes tell us....and I'd love to know what it is.:wink2:


I am speculating as I asked the Fuente folks face-to-face if my speculation were correct. They smiled and offered a faint denial.

I was at Famous today. They were running specials on a variety of Fuente boxes. Every one of the 3 dozen or so boxes I checked had, as the last 3 digits, "035."

Now, if I had been on the grassy knoll......


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